Borobudur and Prambanan

While we were in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, we went and saw the largest Buddhist monument in the world. Borobudur. It was stunning.

And hot. Really really hot.

If you look closely at the pictures, you can see behind the pasted on smiles that look lovely but are really saying hurry the heck up Mom it’s too hot to smile! I have to give them credit though, they stuck it out with minimal complaining….what more can I ask for? Oh yeah, sunshine and lollipops!

Borobudur is a UNESCO Heritage sight and is absolutely massive. The stone block levels rise up and represent different levels of enlightenment. There is no inside to this monument. Each level has a walkway around the edge that is full of carvings and statues up to the top. Once you reach the top of the pyramid there is a massive bell shaped stupa which is empty but is believed to have held a historic idol at some point.

We really liked the top for two reasons…the view and the breeze 🙂

Here is an example of the carvings in the walls of the temple.

Here’s a closer view of the temple. You can see the pathway going up and each level has a walkway all the way around. If you go there when there are a lot of tourists it’s difficult to navigate the stair ways. They are very steep and the steps seem higher than normal. You definitely earn your dinner climbing those bad boys!

Getting there was easy as we had hired a driver and car for the day which, in my opinion, is the way to go. Its pretty cheap and you get a nice car with A/C and a guy who knows how to get around!

We also went to a Hindu Temple called Prambanan. I have to say I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed Borobudur, but it was impressive in its own right. Instead of one temple there were multiple ones.

There are intricate carvings on the outside of each temple, but there are also interior rooms that house statues that are dedicated to specific priests. The one with the great story is the one about Lord Djonggrang. You can read about it here.

This is also the place where Sylar learned to grin and bear it. There were multiple older women of Asian descent who grabbed him and yelled picture! He was a great sport and smiled, grumbling the whole time about why they wanted his picture!!We really enjoyed our all day temple event….well, at least I enjoyed it. And the kids didn’t complain much which means they enjoyed it too!

If you ever go, I suggest paying the package fee so you can see both temples for a cheaper price. It’s a bit expensive for South East Asia, but so worth having pictures like these in the memory bank!